AN AUDITOR investigating the sale of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's shares in Britannia Stadium says he hopes to complete his inquiry by the end of the month.

Paul Evans, of the Audit Commission, told the council's audit committee that he has two more people to interview in connection with the 2007 sale of the authority's 36 per cent stake in the stadium for £5 million.

Mr Evans said he will not be able to sign off on the council's finances for 2008/09 until the 14-month Britannia investigation ends.

He said: "There has been an internal audit investigation and I have got a draft copy of the report.

"We are in the process of discussing that report with officers and we also need to meet with the new chief executive.

"We expect to finalise our side of the issue by the end of the month."

But committee members voiced suspicions about the delays in publishing the audit.

Potteries Alliance leader councillor Peter Kent-Baguley said: "I seem to remember several months ago being told that the report had been completed and was awaiting the attention of the former interim chief executive.

"As members, we are being made to look like noddies outside this council, because people are asking us questions about this report and we have been telling them that the Audit Commission is re-drafting it, which I now understand is totally incorrect."